This is Our Family
by CrazyOtaku13
Summary: A series of drabbles featuring Loki, Natasha, and their kids. Sort of a sequel to 'The Demon I Cling To' and 'Save Yourself, I'll Hold Them Back.'
1. First Word

**A/N: Since I've gotten a few requests about wanting more of Loki, Natasha, and kids, I decided to start up a series of drabbles. I'm not sure how often I'll update these. Whenever something comes to mind, I'll upload it here. I'm also thinking of making these drabbles into comics. Anyone folowwing my tumblr/DA (crazyotaku13) may have already seen a comic I made out of this drabble **

Loki and Natasha had been invited to the Stark's house for dinner one evening. They brought Alexei along with him since Pepper loved seeing the family together.

"He's over four months old now, isn't he?" Pepper smiled in disbelief.

"Five months next week," Natasha replied as Alexei sat on her lap.

"Has he said his first word yet?" she wondered.

Loki flashed his wife a smirk. "Well…"

…..

It had all started last week during dinner. Loki and Natasha had both been on a mission and had Pepper babysit. They had sat down to eat when it happened. "Eat your dinner, Alexei," Loki smiled, holding a spoon close to the baby's mouth.

Alexei turned his head in defiance.

"Don't be stubborn now," he continued, "it's good, Alexei."

"Tony!" Alexei babbled.

Loki stared at his son with a blank expression. He wanted to laugh-this was his first word, after all. However, his wife seemed far from impressed.

Natasha gently set down her fork. "Tell me I didn't just hear that," She said as she pinched the bridge of her nose.

"I'm afraid you did," he chuckled. "How about trying to say 'Daddy,' Alexei?" he asked his son with a smile. "Or 'Mommy'-that will make her happy!"

"I'm gonna kill Stark!" she growled.

…

"Oh? What did he say?" Pepper beamed.

Loki said 'Mommy,' while Natasha said 'Daddy.'

Pepper stared at the couple in confusion.

"'Mommy.' He said 'Mommy,'" Loki assured her.

"Isn't that cute!" she giggled. "It's a relief- every time I've been babysitting him, I'd end up finding Tony trying to get him to say his name."

Natasha's hand formed a fist. "That's so like him…" The corner of her lip turned up in a forced smile.


	2. Just To Be Sure

"Help me out with some of these bags, please, Alexei," said Natasha as the cashier finished bagging up the remainder of their groceries.

"Yes, Mom!" The child nodded as he grabbed two plastic bags into one hand.

"Thank you," she smiled as she ran her debit card through the machine. Her free hand rested against her swollen stomach. At this point, Natasha was well into her seventh month of pregnancy with her second child.

Alexei grabbed the three remaining bags and stared up at the cashier. "My Mom's having a baby!" he announced. "She's not fat, if that's what you were wondering."

"Alexei!" his mother hissed, her cheeks flushed.

The cashier began to laugh. "Congratulations," she said to Natasha.

"Alexei," Natasha breathed once they were out of the store, "people can tell I'm having a baby."

"Uncle Tony says it's because you're fat, so I wanna make sure people know," he added in defense.

Her brows furrowed in annoyance. "Is that so?" she asked dryly. "Well, I've got a few words for Stark the next time I see him…"

…..

The next morning during a team briefing, Steve, Bruce, and Clint began to wonder why there was a red mark across Tony's cheek.

"Did you and Pepper get into a fight?" Bruce asked.

"You weren't flirting with someone again, were you?" Clint remarked.

"Can we start this thing?" Tony impatiently asked Director Fury, checking the clock on his phone.

Natasha smiled widely. "No, I think we've got time for a story."

Tony shot her a cold glare. "I was testing out the durability of a new glove I built-private stuff," he lied.

"Wait, on yourself?" Clint blinked.

Natasha didn't even bother to try hiding her laughter.

"I'm a tough guy. I can handle it," Tony replied. "I know how to take it like a man," he added, staring in Natasha's direction.

Clint leaned back in his chair to face Natasha. "You hit him, didn't you?" he whispered.

"Oh, yeah," she replied.


	3. A Way to Stop the Tears

"I fed him, burped him, checked the diaper-I don't know what it is!" Natasha was becoming more and more frustrated after running on fourteen hours of sleep over a three day period. "He just keeps crying!" she told her husband the moment he walked through the front door of their penthouse.

Loki took the crying baby from his wife's arms. "Giving your Mother trouble, Alexei?" he playfully asked.

"Two days and I already messed up!" Natasha complained as she fell onto the couch.

"You've done nothing wrong, Natasha," Loki assured her.

"Then why won't he _stop!?_" she snapped. Her tone only made the newborn even more upset. "This wasn't in my training," she groaned.

"Has he slept while I was out?" Loki wondered.

"No," she sighed. "He was fine when we brought him home the other day! Pepper came over and even she couldn't stop him! I don't get why you had to go to that damn briefing when I need you here!"

"I'm sure he's just tired…" Loki suggested as he gently rocked the baby in his arms. "I believe you are, too," he informed his wife.

She shot him a cold glare. "What do you expect, Loki? I _just_ had a baby and now he won't stop crying because he hates me!" Hot tears formed in her eyes and she turned away from Loki. She didn't want to break down in front of him, but her hormones were still out of whack.

"He doesn't hate you, Natasha," he told her sadly as he sat beside her on the couch. "He knows you're frustrated and that's making him upset."

Natasha rolled her eyes.

"I know…" Loki outstretched his palm and a ball of glowing green smoke appeared.

Natasha's eyes grew wide and she grabbed her husband's arm. "Loki, don't _hurt _him!"

He began to chuckle as he made the smoke form shapes in front of Alexei's face. "He's fine, Natasha."

First a horse, then a raven formed before the newborn. Alexei ceased his crying to watch in wonder before his Father's magic.

"He stopped," Natasha breathed as she grasped her husband's shoulder.

"The little ones are always fond of magic, are they not?" he asked. Loki continued forming shapes of Asgardian creatures running in circles in midair, flowers, stars- anything in hopes of pleasing his son.

Alexei's eyes began to droop and he soon fell fast asleep.

Loki proudly smiled down at his little boy. "Sweet dreams, Alexei," he whispered. "See, Natasha-he was just tired… Natasha?" He looked to the side to see that his wife had fallen asleep with her head against his shoulder.


	4. Preschool Clothes

"Is he dressed, Loki? It's his first day-don't make him late," said Natasha impatiently. She stood in the bedroom doorway to find her husband helping their three-year-old finish dressing. "What is he wearing?" She couldn't help but crack a smile.

"Ceremonial clothing," Loki informed her as he stepped to the side. "Show your Mother how becoming you look, Alexei." Loki beamed as he took the child's hand.

"Maybe on Asgard. Loki-he can't wear that!"

Alexei stared down to admire his silver armor that complemented his black and blue garments. Alexei's big green eyes met with Natasha's. "Blue!" he announced as he grabbed the corner of his dark blue cape.

Natasha knelt down to be at level with the child. He looked just like a little Loki. "Yes," she smiled. "And you look very handsome, but you need your play clothes."

The toddler gave his Mother a pouty stare.

Natasha avoided her son's puppy dog eyes and stared up at Loki. "I don't think the school will allow _armor_-he'll cut himself…or someone else. They'll think we're being overprotective…" She watched Alexei spin around and chase his cape. "Or flashy…"

"Is the armor your only concern? He seems to like it very much," Loki noticed. "I wish you luck in removing it from him. Alexei knows what he wants."

"I don't want him cutting himself-look at those arm bands! Why would you even put those on him?"

"The vambraces?" Loki asked. "They're all part of the formal wear."

"Alexei," Natasha called out. The toddler stared up at her and walked over to her waiting arms. "Let's just take these off, okay?" she said soothingly. Carefully, she removed the vambraces and handed them to Loki. "He'll poke an eye out on with these!" she remarked.

"No, those mine!" Alexei whined. His tiny arms reached up to his Father.

"No armor to school," Natasha sternly said. "You can wear your cape and everything else. Mommy and Daddy don't want you or anyone else to lose a limb on your first day."

Alexei stuck out his lower lip.

"You can wear them later," Loki promised. His fingers traced against the points of the metal arm shields. "Perhaps they are a bit dangerous… I do believe I recall Thor tripping and cutting his hand once when we were small," he recalled.

"That's not reassuring at all!" Natasha warned her husband.

"Your overly protective side is showing, my spider," he smirked.

"It's what keeps our son safe," she assured Loki with a kiss.

"But of course," Loki agreed with a loving grin.


	5. Hide-and-Seek

**A/N: It's been a while, but I have a new drabble ^^,,,**

"Mommy, hide-sheek!" a two-year-old Alexei announced as he watched his Mother tossing clean clothes into a basket of laundry on the floor.

"You have to wait, Alexei," Natasha reminded him. Once the dryer was empty, she closed it and kicked aside the laundry basket. "It's work time, now." She walked out to the kitchen and took a seat before her laptop.

"Hide-sheek now!" Alexei demanded, stomping his little foot. He grabbed the hem of Natasha's shirt and tugged until he got her attention.

"No, Alexei. Mommy's busy now," Natasha told her son with a forced smile. She had yet to get started with her latest mission report and wanted to get it turned in to Fury as soon as possible. "We can play hide-and-seek later," she assured her son. Alexei stuck out his lower lip, making Natasha laugh. Loki always said that Alexei looked just like Natasha whenever he did that. "Go play with your toys." She pointed towards the toy cars he had strewn across the kitchen floor.

Sulking, Alexei obeyed his Mother. He plopped himself down on the floor and began to play all by his lonesome.

Natasha continued to type away at her laptop, ignoring the sounds of Alexei's cars skidding across the tile. After nearly ten minutes at work, she paused from her work to think of an addition to her report. In that brief moment, Natasha couldn't help but notice the rare moment of silence. She turned in her chair, only to find the toddler missing. "Alexei?" She got up and checked under the table before circling the kitchen. "Alexei!" she called out. His cars were scattered across the floor, but her son was nowhere to be found. "Seven minutes and I lose you…" Natasha breathed. She hadn't heard any doors or windows open-Natasha definitely would have heard _that_. Alexei had to be somewhere in the house…

The first place she checked was his bedroom. Maybe he went to grab a new toy, she figured. After checking under his bed, his closet, the toy box, there was no Alexei to be found. "Alexei!" she yelled. Natasha checked her and Loki's bedroom, the bathroom-she checked the whole house, only to find that her son was missing. There was no Alexei hiding in any closets, in the showers, under any beds, inside the cabinets, or in the dryer. Her son was gone…disappeared within a matter of minutes... Natasha's maternal instincts kicked in as worry took over. She grabbed her phone from her pocket to call up her husband who was busy at work. "Loki?" Natasha's voice faltered. "I…I think I lost Alexei…"

"What? Natasha, what happened?" Loki asked, now standing before her. One of the perks of being wife to the god of mischief was his power of teleportation.

The red-head threw her arms around him, squeezing him tightly. "I was working while he was playing, and… Seven minutes!" she hissed. "I ignore him for _seven_ minutes and he just disappears!" Hot tears formed in her eyes and Natasha couldn't hold them back.

"Surely, he's somewhere near-"

"I checked the whole damn house!" she shouted, allowing for the tears to fall. "Loki, he's gone!"

The god's brows furrowed in confusion as he sadly stared at his wife. He, too, began to grow worried. What if Alexei was magic like himself? What if he managed to teleport himself somewhere? "We'll find him," Loki assured Natasha. For her sake, he needed to remain calm. He narrowed his eyes as he began to pace about the kitchen. Somewhere close by, he managed to pick up the slightest sound.

"It's only been two years and I've failed as a mother!" she groaned. "I didn't hear any windows opening-Loki, I don't understand!" she cried. "All he wanted was to play a game- is this my punishment for neglecting him!?" She sat back down at the kitchen table, in tears.

"Natasha." There was a calm smile across Loki's face. In his hands, he held the plastic laundry basket by its handles. "You never folded the laundry," he smirked.

She shot Loki a cold glare. "Our son is missing! Does that mean anything to you?!" she shouted. The clothes within the basket shuffled slightly. Natasha blinked back her tears as she reached out to toss aside a shirt on top of the pile.

"Hide-sheek!" Alexei exclaimed, jumping up from beneath the clothes pile.

Loki began to chuckle as he watched his son surprise Natasha.

"I win hide-sheek!" the toddler announced to his Mother.

"No!" Natasha lifted him up under his armpits and shot him a glare. "Bad Alexei! _Very_ bad!" she scolded.

"Natasha…" Loki set the basket of clothes onto the floor. "He was only playing…"

"You nearly gave me a heart attack!" she exclaimed. Natasha hugged him close to her as Alexei began to tear up. "Never do that again!" Natasha then did what she felt was necessary-a punishment. She gave him a light spank on the rear and the toddler began to wail. Natasha felt awful for hitting him, but didn't parents do that when a child misbehaved? Was she too rough? "Alexei, I'm so sorry!" she whispered.

Despite the apology, Alexei began to pull her hair and scream louder. "B-bad Mommy!" he cried. "Mommy mean!"

Hearing her son's words made Natasha cringe. Loki pulled Alexei away from her, unable to hide a small smile.

"You're alright, Alexei," Loki said softly. He took the crying child up to his room and returned moments later.

"Loki, I didn't mean to hurt him!" she protested. "I barely hit him!" Then again, there were times when she didn't know her own strength…

"You scared him, is all," he assured her. "He doesn't like it when we yell."

"He's not hurt, is he?" she asked worriedly.

"Alexei is fine," Loki promised, kissing her hair.

Natasha let out a groan. "I hit him and now he hates me…"

Loki began to chuckle. "You weren't rough with him. I do recall Mother and Father being far more strict with Thor and I."

She sighed and decided to go up to Alexei's room. Her son was curled up beneath his covers, sniffling. "Mommy's sorry, Alexei." She stepped further into the bedroom and sat down on the child-sized bed. "I didn't know you were playing…"

"I play hide-sheek," he sniffed, revealing to her his teary face.

"And Mommy didn't know," she sighed, reaching out to stroke his hair. "You really scared me," she added. "I thought you were gone…" Natasha felt fresh tears forming in her eyes. The idea of losing her son and having her at fault terrified her. The idea of never seeing her precious baby ever again…

"No more hide-sheek, Mommy!" said Alexei, jumping onto her lap. "No more." He didn't want to see his Mother cry, especially since he was the cause of her sadness.

Natasha hugged him close to her and kissed his cheek. "I love you."

"I be good, Mommy."

Needless to say, Alexei never wanted to play a game of hide-and-seek ever again.


	6. Anniversary

**A/N: I wanted to write something new since it's been, like, a year since I started shipping them. It's hard to believe it's been just about a year since The Avengers came out**

"They weren't too much trouble, I hope," Loki said to his brother upon returning home from his anniversary dinner with his wife.

"None at all!" Thor promised with a smile, playfully slapping Loki on the back.

"For some reason, I doubt that." Natasha rolled her eyes as Alexei came running to her, followed by Leah who toddled after him.

"Cake now?" Leah asked her Uncle.

"'Cake?'" Natasha repeated, curiously eying Thor. She lifted her two-year-old daughter into her arms.

The Thunder god began to chuckle heartily. "I brought a present for you to enjoy. I told the little ones to wait until you returned home from your dinner," he explained.

"That sounds wonderful. Thank you," Loki smiled.

"I thought it would be a fun way to celebrate," Thor shrugged. He walked towards the kitchen and returned moments later with a white bakery box. "For the four of you. Congratulations on another year together." He handed Loki the cake which was more than enough for just the four of them.

"Will you care to stay?" Loki asked his brother.

"I have to return to Jane," Thor smiled. "Another time."

"Bye, Uncle Thor!" Alexei waved.

Leah was too busy grabbing for the cake box to say goodbye.

"Can we eat it now?!" Alexei excitedly asked once Thor had left.

"What, you're not gonna ask how our date went?" Natasha asked the eleven-year-old with a smirk. She carried Leah to the kitchen to watch Loki cut the cake.

"You always have fun when you go out," Alexei reminded her. "Both of you come back really happy all the time."

"Mostly because your Mother has had her fair share of spirits," Loki replied, shooting his wife a sly grin.

Natasha rolled her eyes in reply. "You and I both know that a few drinks have no effect on either of us."

The couple's children ignored their parents' innuendos once Loki began cutting the cake. "No candles?" Leah asked.

"That's for birthday cakes," Natasha explained with a smile. "This is an anniversary cake… Do people even do that?" she asked Loki.

Loki shrugged as he handed the first slice to his wife. "Thor has brought us a dessert every year. Like myself, he is unfamiliar with these customs."

"It was a box of Pop-Tarts the first year," Natasha laughed. She set Leah down and handed her a plate of cake and a fork.

"But if it did have candles, it'd have eleven," Alexei announced as he accepted a piece of cake from his father.

"Yes, it would," Loki smiled, eying Natasha.

"Feels like only yesterday," Natasha mused.

"What does?" Alexei asked his mother.

"Our first anniversary."

"Was that when you first met?" the boy wondered.

Loki chuckled under his breath. He cut a piece of cake for both he and Natasha, who was also laughing.

"Your Dad didn't like me very much when we first met," Natasha smirked. She took her piece of cake with her to the living room couch. Her husband and two kids followed after her.

"Cuz the Avengers didn't like Dad, right?" Alexei knew that his father was once the enemy, but things changed for the better. He sat on the floor closest to his mother's feet and Leah plopped down beside him.

"That's a nice way of phrasing it," Loki smiled, taking a seat beside Natasha.

Alexei ate a big bite of cake before continuing to question his parents. "Then why did you start liking each other?" He had never bothered asking as to how his parents' union came to be. All he knew was that they had fallen in love shortly before he was born. Now, he wanted the full story.

Natasha smiled at Loki. "We understood each other. That's what really mattered."

"So were you bad, too, Mom?" Alexei prodded. "Is that why you understood each other?"

She shook her head. "Your Dad wasn't really all that bad a guy. Just misunderstood."

"And you were the only one to see that." Loki leaned over to kiss her. "That was when I knew you were the only one for me."

"Hard to believe that only a year later, we had Alexei and got married," Natasha commented. She set aside her plate to wrap her arms around her husband's neck.

"That year is the happiest year of my life," Loki added before kissing her.

Alexei's face reddened and he quickly returned his attention to the piece of unfinished chocolate cake on his plate. "You guys are being mushy again," he warned his parents.

Leah began to giggle as her parents kissed.

"Wait until you're married, Alexei," Natasha smiled, watching her son in the corner of her eye. "Then you'll get to embarrass your kids just like this."

"It would seem we need to take our intimacies elsewhere, darling," Loki whispered into her ear.

The red-head shot him a knowing smile. "Finish your cake, guys. It's getting way past your bed time," Natasha said suddenly.

"No!" Leah pouted, traces of icing smeared across her lips.

Loki rose from the couch and easily lifted the tiny red-head into his arms. "Yes," he corrected her. "Your Mother and I are _very _tired," he smirked. "Didn't your Uncle tire you out?"

"No." Leah shook her head and wrapped her little arms around her father's neck.

Loki clicked his tongue as he carried her off to give her a bath.

"You heard Dad. Bed time, Alexei," Natasha told her son.

"But it's not even nine," the child reminded her.

She rolled her eyes. "Read, then. Just don't stay up too late and don't bother your Dad and I."

Despite the embarrassment Alexei felt towards his parents' love for each other, he was grateful that they were still happy together. He never liked it when they fought, which was rare, and he knew kids in his class with divorced parents. To have his parents together and happy made Alexei grateful. "Happy anniversary, then, Mom," he smiled. "I love you."

"I love you, too, Alexei." Natasha leaned over to kiss his cheek. "Good night." She ruffled his curly black hair before watching him run off to his room. Now that everything had grown quiet, Natasha finished her piece of cake in deep contemplation. _Eleven years. _She could hardly believe how fast time had passed. After eleven years, Natasha Odinson was happily married with two kids. If she was told this earlier on in her life, she would have thought it to be a huge joke. Her past self would have never believed that she would find happiness in living a married life, along with two healthy children who she managed to give birth to, despite her supposed infertility. Natasha sat on the couch, not realizing how long she had been sitting in a daze until Loki entered the room.

"Natasha? I thought you would be in the bedroom." He smiled and took a seat beside her.

She turned to him, eying the rolled-up sleeves of his slightly damp dress shirt. "I take it Leah had a fun bath?"

"She's always fussy," Loki smiled, draping an arm over her shoulders. "She will surely grow to be just like her Mother."

Natasha raised her brow. "I'm hoping you mean that in the nicest way possible," she smirked, leaning into his chest. "We're lucky, Loki," she whispered. "We have great kids. They're both amazing…" She wrapped her arms around her husband's waist.

"That they are," Loki agreed as he stroked her hair.

"I love you." She leaned over to give him a kiss.

"I love you, too, Natasha. Happy anniversary," he added before returning her kiss.

"And here's to many more," she smirked as she crawled onto him, straddling his hips.


End file.
